The University of Minnesota Duluth (UM-D) will establish an undergraduate student, Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program. The program titled Pathways to Advanced Degrees in Life Science (PADLS) will prepare students for admission to research doctoral degree programs. Developmental activities will include workshops in Responsible Conduct in Research, scientific writing, presentation skills, computer modeling, quantitative methods and critical thinking. Trainees will discuss career options in biomedical research and prepare for entry into graduate school through PADLS research forums, offered throughout the academic year. Trainees will gain experience in research laboratories at UM-D during the first summer and during the academic year. The second summer will be a total immersion into a research laboratory; trainees can enter the Life Science Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis (UMM) or remain at UM-D for this experience. The PADLS trainees accepted into the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) graduate school will enter the Community of Scholars Program (COSP) prior to entering graduate school. The COSP provides early exposure for entry-level graduate students to the diverse resources available at UMTC. The PADLS program will train eight students per year during a four year period; a minimum of 19 trainees will enter doctoral programs during this period. Public health relevance: The University of Minnesota Duluth (UM-D) will establish an Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) entitled Pathway to Advanced Degrees in Life Sciences (PADLS). The undergraduate students will participate in academic enrichment activities and science research during their junior and senior years at UM-D. The students will be prepared to directly enter into a doctoral biomedical research program after graduation.